Time delay mechanism



May 1, 1945.

Filed Oct. 1, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Frank R Thresh. By his APEOTI'IQH.

y 1945- F. R. THRESH 2,374,846

TIME DELAY MECHANI SM Filed Oct. 1, 1945 3 Sheets Sheet 3 jhieni 0 7" Frank RThresh Bg his AHZOTYLQIJ.

Patented May 1, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIME DELAY MECHANISM Frank R. Thresh, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application October 1, 1943, Serial No. 504,579

16 Claims.

This invention relates to control mechanisms, and more particularly to mechanisms for controlling the' operation of treating means upon material after such material has passed through or into a machine by means of a conveyor.

The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a control mechanism in combination with a leather putting-out machine of the type disclosed in United States application Serial No. 485,001, filed April 29, 1943, in the name of David Edgar, although it is to be understood that in its more general aspects the invention is not limited to use with machines of the type illustrated.

Machines of the type disclosed in the abovementioned application are provided with work feeding means comprising a conveyor for moving individual work pieces .into proximity to Work treating tools of the machine and in accordance with one object of the present invention, novel control mechanism is provided which is adapted to be combined with a feeding means or conveyor, said mechanism including a single pivoted means to detect material being conveyed into position to be acted upon in a material treatment zone of appreciable length and breadth by material treating means and means under control .of the detector means through suitable electric connections for rendering the treating means effective upon a substantial portion of the material when the material has been moved to said position.

A further object is'the provision of a novel mechanism which will detect the leading edge or portion of material passing by means of a conveyor or feeding means toward a material treatment zone and, after a predetermined time delay, will initiate the treatment of the material 'in that zone.

The term material treatment zone is used herein to indicate the appreciable length and breadth of that location in a machine in which the treating means can be rendered mechanism which is adapted to be operated by a some form of a single pivoted detector arranged to be displaced by material to be treated and which will, after a given time delay, initiate a treating operation control by maintaining a single independent electric circuit in accordance with the amount of material to be treated. In

accordance with another feature of the invention, there is provided means by which the time delay is made adjustable. Still another feature is provided by means for adjusting the control mechanism to suitthe various lengths or amounts of material to be treated.

A further object is the provision of novel control mechanism in combination with a machine for treating sheet materials, said machine having a conveyor to feed in the sheet material to a table and treating tools proximate the table,

said control mechanism including a means to detect a piece of material being conveyed, and means under the control of the detector means for causing relative movement of the table and treating tools and consequent effective treatment of the piece after the piece has been conveyed to the table- Still a further feature is provided by means to predetermine the length of time of the effective treatment on the table dependent upon the amount or length of sheet material to be treated.

The above and other features of the invention, including novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawingsand pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a time delay mechanism in which the invention is embodied, the mechanism being shown as applied to a leather putting-out machine;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the position of a timing disk relative to the necessary switches when work treatment is initiated;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic showing of the position of the timing disk relative to the switches just before treatment of a work piece is terminated;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a modification of a portion of the time delay mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a front View of the timing disk shown in side elevation in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a putting-out machine with the time delay mechanism modification of Fig. 4 attached thereto.

In Fig. 1 a portion of a conveyor belt ID of a putting-out machine is shown. This belt has for its purpose the carrying or conveying of individual pieces ofleather over a table and into or through a putting-out machine. Upon the belt i0 is shown a piece of work 12 to be treated. Above the belt H] at a fixed distance is suitably mounted a detector framework M upon which is pivoted at 16 a bar l8 engageable at one end with an adjustable stop, illustrated as a screw 20 carried by the frame M. At the opposite end of the bar I8 is pivoted a T-shaped element 22 having wheels 24 and 26 rotatably mounted thereon. These wheels may bear lightly against the belt I!) or have a slight clearance therefrom.

and 32 by means of which a switch 34 may be operated. A second switch 36 with a second de tector arrangement may be utilized, if desired, as will be explained'hereafter... Both switches 34 and 36 are mounted on suitable brackets, such as bracket 38 which bracket also slidably supports the end of rod 28. The framework I4: is mounted on the frame (not shown in Fig. 1) ofthe machine of which the conveyor is a part. At some convenient location nearithe material treating machine'is mounted a small motor 46 suitably coupled with a gear box 42 which in turn is arranged to drive or'rot'ate, ina clo'ckwise direction, as shown by the arrow, a timing disk 44. The disk 44 has two annular'spaced segments 46 and*48"on its face, as shown. Near the periphery v of the disk 44 V are mounted by ineansof'bolts 50 and. two relatively adjustable plates 52 and'54;'these plates havingbeveled ends as shown. The outerplate"54*has a flange engaging the edge of disk 44 to" aid in holding both plates 52 and54 flrmly'in position. An electric conneiztibnormicroswitch 56 'isso mounted on 'a fixed support (not shown) in-such a way that its button"or"plu'n'ger is dep'ressed to close the'switch by contact 'with'th'e two annular ridges or s egments 46 and 48, when the segments are rotated. As'econdmicroswitch 58 'isistationarily mounted in a'position"such that its button orplunger'is'depressed to close the switch by contact with the combinedlength of the two plates '52 and 54,"when they are rotated. Asource of current 60 is 'provided'in which one line 52 leads directly to the motor" and the other linejil'ead's through line '64 to one or both of the switches "34"a'nd 36"a'nd thence to 'the motor. Microswitch 56 is connected in. parallel with the 'switches "34,' 36' and microsw'it'ch '58 is connec'tedinseries with a solenoid v66 across the line Wand an emergencyswitch 68 may be provided. In Fig. 1' the"s0lenoid--.66" is: shown. as operatively connected to a lever. 69. which in-turn is"'adapted to operate a hydrauliclvalve. 10. These elements 66,-691'and1'l6 do not 'form.'a.part

'of the present inventionubutmerely represent 26, as those wheels are viewed in Fig. 1.

Fora clear understanding of the invention Figs. 1, 2 and 3 should be considered together. As stated above,'one switch 34 and one detector may be all that is necessary to detect the oncoming work pieces or be displaced by them. However, where highly irregular shaped sheet material, such as hides, is to be treated it may be well to use one switch with its detector and appropriate rolls 24 and 26 at one side of the top of belt l6 and another switch 36 and its corresponding detector on the other side of the top of belt I0. As conveyor belt It moves to the right at a constant-speed by power means (not shown) the hide I2 is carried thereWith-andlifts the wheel 26, causing the top end of element 22 to move to the right, as shown in Fig. 1. Stop thereby closes the switch 34 causing the motor 46 to rotate'and as a result the timing disk 44 begins to turn in a clockwise direction, as shown by the arrow. Asthe timing disk starts to turn, the ridge 46 causes the switch 56 to close, the hide continues to travel forward and under both detector rolls 24 and 26, causing the switch lever 28 to return to neutral position and open the'switch '34. However, the momentary tilting of element 22 has caused the motor to start andwhen switch 34 is subsequently opened, current to the motor is maintained through the switch 56 by means of the ridge 46. The timing disk 44 continues to rotate in a clockwise direction-for a predetermined time delay after which the plates 52 and 54 cause the switch 58 to close, thereby initiating treatment of "thework by sendingcurrent through solenoid'66. This time delay permits travel of the work piece from its place of'detection to'the requiredplacein the treatment zone i. 'e., it'permits the measuring as from the leading edge of the workpiece a predetermined amountof material before treatment of that" work piece is initiated. The position I of the disk at this "time (beginning o'f 'treatment or a" work piece) is shown in Fig. 2. The motor-and timing disk continues to turn until the neutral space 12 between ridges 46 and'48"comes under the switch56, as shown in Fig." 3." This"breaks contact and stops rotation of the motor andtiming'disk. The time delay plates52- and 54 remain inpositionfpushing :the plunger of switch 58, which switch'is thereby in contact'and causes current to continue to pass through the solenoid 66', i; e. to continue treatment o'f'theworkpiece. As thehide' l2 moves forward ontheconveyor belt lo'and its trailing edge comes'from beneath the detector roll 26 it causes switchlever 28 to swing to the left,operating'switch 34"0r 36 or both, as the case may be, and starting the "motor and timing disk again. Ridgei48th'en operates the switch 56 and keeps the'motor 46rotating after both detector rolls 24 and are away from the hide androd or rods 28 are in neutral position. As the timing disk rotates away from its position-shown in Fig.*3,switch 58- 'is' open 'as plates 52 and 54 release the'switch plungertafter' apredetermined time determined by the -adjustment of bolts '50 and 5| and plates 52 and 54) and cuts 011' current through the. solenoid 66, terminatinga continuous treating operation on a givenpiece ef .work. The .motor and. timing 'disk continue tozrotate as switch 55 iszcontacted .by ridge 48; andsuchyotation continues until 5 treated.

A modification of the disk and motor drive is shown in Fig. 4. Instead of having a separate motor and gear box as shown in Fig. 1, a combined motor and gear box IE, which is=a commercial product now on the market, is mounted within a compact and unitary casing 18. This casing 18 can be easily mounted in. any place convenient on or near the machine to which the invention is to be applied. The motor gear drives a shaft '86 to which is fixed a timing disk 62 having spaced ridges 84 and 86 thereon similar to the ridges 46 and 48 on the disk 44 of Fig. 1.

Arcuate plates 88 and 90 are adjustably' mounted by means of bolt 92 and slots 94 and 96 upon the periphery of the disk 82. One end of plate 88 'is rounded and one end of plate 90 is'rounded,

permitting smooth axial contact with thebutton of the microswitch 58. The disk of Figs. 4 and 5 may be calibrated, as shown, to give units of time. Such calibration is also shown on the disk 44 of Fig. l. A glass window 98 may be placed in the casing I8 to enable the operator to read the setting.

- In Fig. 6 is shown a portion of the conveyor belt and other parts of a putting-out machine as disclosed in the application No, 485,001. The figure also shows the-application of a detector, such as shown in the present Fig. l, and a unitary timing disk box 18 is shown in Fig. 4. A few of the putting-out tools I00 of the Edgar machine are shown to represent the treating zone. Such tools move in the direction shown by the arrows. The detector device with its switch rod 28 is suitably mounted on transverse bars I02 and I04 rigidly connected with sides of a table I06. In the Edgar machine the tools I00 are mounted for operation in a fixed or stationary horizontal plane. The conveyor belt I0 and its backing-up table I06 are normally below the said plane. To make the action of the treating tools I00 effective on a hide, the table I 08 is caused to move upwardly to press the hide I2 against the moving tools I00. This upward movement has no effecton the action of the detector as the detector moves with the table. As the conveyor continues to move, the entire hide is treated by the tools. As the treating zone in such a machine is highly congested with treating tools, it is impractical to space the detector device in that zone. Also, as hides and skins vary in size and are irregular in shape. it is clear that the time of application of the tools to various hides must vary. The

tools I00 pull outwardly on the hide in six directions and if the table I06 is lifted too early or kept up for too long a period some of the tools may cause the hide to be whipped one way or another and damaged. machine that the tools all pull evenly in the various directions on the hide until the entire hide is treated and as the hide is moving in the machine. It is also essential that the table I06 be promptly lowered when it is apparent that further movement of the hide through the machine will give some tools an undue pull on the hide.

With the hide I2 in position, as shown in Fig. 6.

switch 34 is open and the timing disk in box I8 is in a position such as shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 3. Current is flowing through the solenoid 66 with the result that the hydraulic mechanism I06, not herein described in detail since it is fully shown and described in the previously mentioned Edgar application Serial No. 485,001. has caused the operation before the tools have opportunity to scratch and damage the hide.

It is to berecognized that applicants time delay mechanism can be useful in many types of installations, as stated earlier in the specification. It gives automatic control of non-instantaneous treatment of individual work pieces. The detector need not be located within the treating zone which zone may be of appreciable size, and the work pieces need not be fed at a regular rate.

To suit a given installation, the lengths of the It is essential in such a ridges 45 and 4B or 84-and 86 and the arcuate plates 52 and 54 or 88 and 90 can be varied. The diameter and rate of rotation of the timing disks also can be changed to give the desired timing.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine having a material treating zone of appreciable length and breadth, means for conveying material into the said zone, a sin gle pivoted detector in combination with said conveying means adapted to be displaced by the forward and after portions of material about to enter said zone, material treating means in said zone, and means under control of the detector to render the said treating means effective upon a substantial portion of the material when a predetermined amount of the said material has entered the said zone.

2. In a machine having a material treating zone of appreciable length and breadth, means 'for conveying material at a uniform rate to the said zone, a single pivoted detector arranged to detect the leading edge of said material on the conveying means and about to enter the said zone, material treating means associated with said zone. and means under the control of the detector to measure off from the leading edge a predetermined amount of material and to make the said treating means effective upon a substantial part of the material in the zone when the said. predetermined amount of material has entered the said zone.

3. In a machine having a material treating zone of appreciable length and breadth, means for conveying material to the said zone, a single pivoted detector arranged to detect the forward and after portions of said material on the conveying means and about to enter the said zone, material treating means associated with said zone, and means under the control of the detector to measure off from the forward portion a predetermined amount of material and to make the said treating means effective upon a substantial part of the material in the zone when the said predetermined amount of material is within the said zone and then upon the remainder of the material for a period of time determined by the detector and corresponding to the amount of material to be treated.

4. A time delay mechanism for use with a material treating machine, said machine having a conveyor adapted to convey material to a treating zone, said mechanism including a single pivoted detector adapted to be located in position to be displaced by the forward and after portions of material on the conveyor, and timing means associated with the detector and under control of the detector, said means being adapted to control treatment in the treating zone to make it effective upon the material when a predetermined amount is entirely within the zone and then for a period of time corresponding to the entire amount of continuous material to be treated.

5. A time delay mechanism for use with a material treating machine, said machine having a conveyor for conveying material to a treating zone, said mechanism including a detector adapted to be so located as to detect anamount of material on the conveyor, and time delay means associated with the detector and under the control of the detector, said means being adapted to control treatment in the treatment zone to make it effective upon the material when a predetermined amount of the material has fully ;ed-to' be'so located as to detect the forward por- ;t ion of an amount of material on the conveyor and thereby close and open a first electric circuit, saiddetector also being adapted to detect the after portion of the said amount of material and thereby again close the first electric circuit, said mechanism also including a motor driven disk having spaced annular contact ridges and an arcuate plate thereon, an electricconnection arranged to be operated by the said ridges,v the motor being in the first circuit, the motor and said electric connection being in a second circuit, and a third electric circuit controlled by the arcuate plate and in turn adapted to' control treatment of the material in the treatment zone. 7. A time delay mechanism for use with a sheet material treating machine, said machine havinga. belt conveyor for conveying sheet material to a treating zone, said mechanism including-a :detector adapted to be so located as to detect the leading edge of a piece of sheet material .on the conveyor and thereby close and open ,a first electric circuit, saiddetector also being adapted to detect thetrailing edge. of the piece of-sheet material and thereby again close the first circuit, said mechanism also including a motor driven disk having spaced annular contact ridges andan arcuate plate thereon, an electric connection arranged to be operated by the saidridges, the motor being in the first circuit, the motor and I said electric connection being in a second circuit, and .athird electric circuit controlled by the arcuate plate and in turn adapted 'to control treatment of the sheet material in the treatment zone.

..8. .A timedelay mechanism as recited in claim 6, the. arcuate plate being adjustable in length.

- 9. A-time delay mechanism as recited inclaim =6, the contact ridges and the arcuate plate controlling the circuits through switches by cam action.

. 10. A time delay mechanism for use with a material treating machine, said machine having a. conveyor adapted to convey material to a treating zone,.said mechanism including a detector adapted to be located in position to detect material. on the conveyor, a unitary time delay means having a geared motor drive arranged to drive a timing disk, spaced cam-surfaces on the said .disk and switches ofv said unitary means adapted to be operated by the cam surfaces, one

. switch to operate the motor, one switch to control an electric circuit for operating the treatment in .the treatment zone, and wiring to provide an electric circuit through the motor adapted to be adapted to be located in position to detect ma- 7 terialon the conveyor, said detector comprising a pivotally mounted element having .rotatably mounted wheels on opposite sides of the pivot a eage adapted to contact the material conveyedgp-a switch means arranged for operation '-by thepiv- 'otally mounted element, said mechanism also including a motor driven time delay meansthe motor being in circuitwith the said switch means,

treatment in the treatment zone.

13. A time delay mechanism for use with a material treating machine, said machine having a conveyor adapted to convey material to a treattreatment in the treatment zone.

ing zone, said mechanism including a detector adaptedto'be located in position to detect material on the. conveyor, a switch arranged for operation by the detector, said meohanism also including a motor driven time delay means, the motor being in circuit with the detector switch, said time vdelay means having an electrical circuit and contacts independent of the detector for driving the motor, and said time delay means means to start the treating operation only after the sheet material has been moved into said position and then 'toterminate the treating" operation after a lapse of time dependent upon the length of the material under treatment.

:- ment'into said position, a table to support the sheet material on said conveyor while in said position, means under control of the detector for causing relative movement of the table and said treating means and consequent treatment of the sheet material by the treating means after the sheet material has been moved into said position, said means under the control of the detector having a time delay means comprising a motor driven timing disk, spaced contact surfaces on the said disk, switches arranged to be operated by the contact surfaces, one to operate the motor and one to control an electric circuit for operating the'relative motion of the table and treating tools and wiring to provide an electric circuit through the motor and arranged tobe opened and closed by the detector.

16. Atime delay mechanism for use with a material treating machine, said machine having a means for feeding material to a treating zone, said mechanism including a single detector adapted to be located in position to detect the forward and after portions of material being fed, electric connections under the control of the detector to operate the time delay mechanism, and a single independent electric circuit maintained by the said mechanism to control treatment in the treatment zone in accordance with the amount of material being fed to the machine.

- FRANK R. THRESH. 

